The Pursuit of One-Handed Commerce: How The Tech Giants Are Evolving (And How You Should React)

Imagine someone on a train, or holding a baby, and still easily able to complete an entire e-commerce experience — from discovery through purchase — with one hand. Not too long ago, that was pretty hard to do. But we’re increasingly living in a world where it’s the norm. And not just on Amazon.

Leading tech companies like Facebook (and Instagram) and Google continue to evolve beyond their initial business models, chasing increased consumer expectations, to provide a more complete e-commerce experience within a single mobile app. The launch of Checkout on Instagram, Marketplace from Facebook and Google Shopping Actions from Google has only accelerated this trend.

At the same time, Amazon has become one of the most competitive advertising sites in the U.S., once the exclusive domain of advertising giants Google and Facebook.

You could argue that the Big Three — Amazon, Google and Facebook — are on a collision course with one another, and at the center of each technological one-upmanship sits the modern consumer. And, of course, mobile devices.

Mobile is the catalyst for so much of the change we see in e-commerce. The meteoric rise of Uber showed just how powerful smartphone technology can be when leveraged with simplicity and ease — and the consumer in mind.

Consumers are increasingly comfortable purchasing on mobile devices, and the majority of ad dollars, clicks and sales revenue are starting to come from mobile. Meanwhile, social media, continues to dominate in its share of mobile usage.

So why is the e-commerce experience still filled with unnecessary friction for the consumer?

As tech companies continue to compete in a “relentless pursuit of easy,” we’ll continue to see mobile innovation and a growth in social commerce.

So how should you react to these trends?

Build the capability to sell through many channels beyond your website to diversify and grow your sales. It’s not about selling on this channel or that channel: It’s about reaching consumers where they are shopping, which is on mobile and across multiple channels.

Evaluate and optimize your advertising strategies on Facebook, Instagram and Google to account for the new selling programs these companies are developing.

Determine new measurements and KPIs to optimize your efforts in this evolving landscape.

Leading brands and retailers leverage a platform like ChannelAdvisor to make it easier to focus on growth instead of worrying about complex integrations with marketplaces, digital marketing sites and fulfillment partners. We help thousands of sellers manage, optimize and analyze their customer and product data across hundreds of online channels around the world. So they can connect their products to more consumers — and provide a better consumer experience along the way.